Anil Sharma

While it's exciting to see Apple update a major part of its hardware lines, I won't talk about the newly released hardware and their specifications etc - you can easily check that information on all tech sites right now. What I'll talk about is the way the buildup happens to these launches, leaving a lot of people excited and some, disappointed.

If you're a regular Apple fan, you will know by now that Apple is highly secretive of its new products and makes no announcements ever of what it intends to launch. This has created a whole ecosystem that thrives on rumors, primary amongst them being sites like www.appleinsider.com, www.macrumors.com etc. In fact, these sites monitor all releases of products and help potential customers make informed decisions about buying Apple products. Like all Apple fans, I visit them regularly and keep a track of what they post.

They were able to predict today's launch of new iMac's, Mac Pro and Cinema Displays well in advance. However, a few of their predictions were 100% wrong, a few things that were announced were never predicted and some of what they predicted turned out to be true.

Here's an example :

On 16th July 2010, www.macrumors.com predicted that the new iMac and Mac Pro range would get USB 3.0 and Firewire 1600. These are powerful features, when the new range was launched today, both these features were missing from the new models.

Instead, the new iMac range got an upgraded graphics card, higher speed Ram and an advanced SDXC slot - none of which were predicted by any of the rumor mongers.

The only part that these rumor sites got correct were that fact there updates were expected and the processors would be of higher speed - something that Moore predicted in the year 1965

Apple also launched the new Magic Trackpad today. No one was aware of this impending launch till a day before the launch when John Gruber predicted it.

What these sites manage to do is raise expectations in the market place, build up the noise and create an environment where Apple fans go crazy. It's exciting to see these new products. However, it's disappointing to note that fake expectations raised by some of these free sites leave a bad taste. If Apple worked towards a better strategy of announcing new products will in advance, it would probably keep staunch customers satisfied. As far as I am concerned, I love the new iMac's. The 27" iMac with a faster quad core i5 processor, 1GB Graphics card upgraded from the previous 512 and a faster 1333 Mhz RAM for the same price I was willing to pay 2 weeks ago - sure !

On Mac’s snow leopard (or most other OS X versions), the finder menu bar on top of the screen is fixed and can’t be hidden.

This is not a flaw or shortcoming, its been designed that ways because the finder menu bar turns into an open application’s menu bar so in most cases it is required. However, there are some applications like Firefox or Apple Mail where I really don’t need the menu bar. Removing the menu bar in such applications actual gives me valuable screen real estate that I like to use.

I’ve found a cool way to customise applications on the mac so that finder menu bar remains hidden while those applications are being used.  It works perfectly, the bar appears when the mouse pointer is moved to the top edge of the screen and hides when the screen is in use.

Here’s a small video of how you can change your apps to do the same , before you try it, I suggest you backup the Info.plist file that is edited in the video

http://www.anil.biz/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Removing_mac_finder_menu_...

Finally, the auction of spectrum required to launch 3G services in India is being held. The Governments decision to delay the auction by over a year and half seems to be yielding results. In the seventh day of bidding, the minimum revenue from the spectrum sale has already crossed over $5 billion. This does not include the value the govt. will earn from the auction of spectrum for broadband wireless services. The online auction could last one more week, eventually, the govt. could end up richer by $7 to 8 billion from the sale.

Most telecom operators in the fray for 3G spectrum have already upgraded their equipment to meet 3G standards. After paying the hugh license fee, each operator would like to start generating revenues as quickly as possible. They could easily launch services within 3 - 4 months of receiving their licenses, which means by Sept - Oct 2010, India would see proper 3G services across the country.

3G allows high speed data to be transferred through GSM / CDMA compatible phones. Besides voice calls, 3G users can make video calls, watch TV on their handsets, access high speed internet to receive emails or download music tracks etc. Operators can expect higher revenue per user ( RPU ) which is the basis of their stock valuation. Along with the launch, there will be additional revenue generation from sale of 3G compatible handsets. It will also create a hugh market for second hand 2G phones that will get pushed to smaller towns and villages.

With the launch of Broadband Wireless Internet, for the first time, Internet users across India will not be dependent on messy cables and poor infrastructure. Also, average broadband speeds are expected to increase from the 256Kbps now to over 1Mbps. With easy wi-fi access and high speeds, India's broadband internet users are expected to double within the next 2 years.
With higher consumer spending and revenues in the govt's coffers, the telecom sector will provide a boost to the nation's economy !

Yes, I really really need an Ipad.Why ?What do mean why ?
I need it to be happy. Don't you need things in life to be happy ?
Why do you need that fancy watch around your wrist when your mobile perfectly shows you the same time ?
Why do you need to go out and eat dinner in a fancy restaurant when you can just as well eat at home ?
Why do need that large SUV when a tiny Suzuki can get you around ?

You need happiness in life, you need things in life to be happy and the Ipad is just that thing for Apple lovers.

Why do I love Apple ?
I'm not answering that. That's like asking why do most people love a BMW when it comes to cars.

I need the iPad because it colors match my Macbook Pro. I need the iPad because its so cool. I need it because Apple's made it. I need it to be happy. I'll figure out what it does after I get it.
How many people own an Apple TV ? I do, that too in India. Even most Apple fans won't remember the disastrous Apple TV products. They never sold, never took off and were not useful, till recently. For the first couple of years that I owned an Apple TV, it was a prestigious device to own, nothing more. It worked well, but offered no revolutionary feature. Then, slowly, Apple added Flickr to in. Now, I can just watch my photo albums on the TV using the Apple TV remote. In another upgrade to the Apple TV software, 3 years after its launch, Apple added Internet Radio to it. Wow ! Now the Apple TV rocks !
Even if the iPad doesn't offer some crazy, breakthrough features today, it will some day and I'll love it then. Today, I just need to have it.

Unfortunately, the iPad might cost me over $999. You see, it's launching in the US on 3rd April. Without pre-orders, its expected to be on shelves from 12th April. I happen to be in the US from 8 to 15th April. I'm sure I could have picked one up have but my wife travels with me. Sighhh.... I'll have to negotiate hard with her to get it. That means an iPad for me and an iPhone for her. Too much. Maybe an iPhone won't make her happy and I'll just get the iPad, keeping my fingers crossed. I have some more tricks up my arm to negotiate with her. I could buy the iPad for, then use it for her too :)

If anyone can help, I really need an iPad ! All idea's welcome, even if they're crazy !

It's so easy for large companies like Toyota to get away without offering formal recalls in India. Worldwide, Toyota cars suffered from issues such as the accelerator pedal getting stuck or the brakes not always engaging. When these issues caught public attention, Toyota was quick to offer a recall in most countries except India.

Toyota India has gone on records to release a statement related to the recall : http://www.toyotabharat.com/inen/message.asp . I quote from this statement “…I would first of all like to reassure you that the global recalls are not connected with the Indian market in any way. In other words, none of the Toyota vehicles available to buyers in India will be affected by these recalls.”

I think the Toyota management is just using smart words to fool Indian customers.  What the above sentence means, in straight language, is that maybe there are faults in Toyota cars in India but we’re not offering any recalls.  Customers of the new Toyota Fortuner SUV are already screaming hoarse with their brakes losing power when applied at high speeds.  Toyota has started replacing brakes of customers who complain but is not officially announcing for a recall. Here’s a discussion on how customers are getting replacement - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/78133-toyota-upgrading-my-fortuners-brakes.html

All this is probably happening because Indian law enforcement is so lax, these companies and their hot-shot lawyers know ways of getting around them. Indian motor companies are now learning these odd ways from large MNC’s.

When Maruti had to change a component in over 100,000 A-star cars, it still did not offer an official recall. The reason?  “There was no attempt to hush up the matter. There was a delay in going public as India does not have a recall policy in contrast to countries in Europe which have a framework in place for reporting such matters,” Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava said. The product website - http://www.marutisuzukiastar.com/ - still does not offer any info on the recall.

I tried to search if the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 speaks about recall policies etc but there is nothing to that effect.  I hope someone brings this to the attention of the Transport Ministry and policies are created which force companies to officially announce all recalls publicly.

What an exciting race at Bahrain to being the 2010 F1 season.  As usual, this Sunday was made waiting for the race to being and then following each and every moment of it. This time, I decided to analyze the race from a management point of view and was surprised how much we can learn from a race.  

For simplicity purposes, lets think of the entire F1 as an organisation, the F1 race administration as the organisation's management, racing teams as the departments and the race drivers as the leaders or managers of the departments. Below is a summary of what I learnt.

The best leader is not always the winner.

The excellent performance in the qualifying races gave Vettel his pole position. In the second place was Massa followed by his teammate Alonso. During the final race, for 35 of the 49 laps, Alonso and Massa followed Vettel trying desperately to overtake him but couldn’t even reach near.  An exhaust problem in Vettel’s car forced him to slow down and that’s how Alonso won the race.  Vettel was the leader throughout but the winner who got the trophy was Alonso, not because of his own performance but because of the leader’s inability to cross the line before his follower.

A good leader makes winners  out of others.

Alonso closely followed Vettel from the beginning of the race. The desire to overtake him made him push himself and his car so that they were as close to the leader as possible.  In F1, races are won with differences of split seconds. When Alonso finally won, he had a clear 16 seconds lead ahead of his competitor. Even though Vettel as a leader could not win, he gave this gift to his follower.

To win, you have to keep trying

For the entire 35 Laps, Alonso never gave up and kept chasing Vettel. Under pressure, Vettel kept the speed constantly high, maybe it was this pressure that caused the exhaust problem in Vettel’s car ultimately giving Alonso a chance to win. Even after overtaking him, Alonso kept trying to increase the distance between him and his teammate. Suppose there was a problem in Alonso’s car in the last few laps that required him to take a pit stop, he would still have won because of the 16 sec gap he had created.

Management rewards winners, not leaders

After the race, the trophy and the usual champagne bottle were handed out to Alonso. In the press conference, everyone wanted to ask questions to Alonso about the victory, Vettel was all but forgotten.  Despite the exhaust problem and the engine losing power, Vettel kept the car going and managed to get a decent 4^th position earning 12 championship points, however the reward was for Alonso who got 25 points.  There are many leaders but management seeks out and rewards winners.

The team cannot win without winners

Vettel’s Red Bull Racing team equally supported his excellent performance. Vettel recorded the fastest pit stop, he was stationery for under 4 secs while the tyre’s were changed. This would have motivated him to perform better. However, the technical problem can be attributed to a part of his team not delivering. The team’s second driver, Webber only stood 8^th, giving the team a total of 16 points.

For the Ferrari team that won both the top spots, the reward is 43 points it accumulated.  The second position by Massa earned the team 18 of the 43 points, more than the total points of Red Bull Racing.  The flawless performance by the Ferrari drivers was mostly due to the perfect work done by the team.

In a team, everyone needs to perform for the team to win. However, the team cannot win without the leaders becoming winners.

Management policies take the organisation forward

The decision to do away with refueling during the race has made it so much more fun to watch for the audience. For the teams, the cost of operations has come down, it’s safer now and the whole hassle has been done away with.  

By changing the scoring pattern such that it rewards more points to those who win, the management has ensured that competitive spirits are kept high. These policy changes (http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2010/3/10498.html) make F1 an even more interesting sport to watch, resulting in higher profits for the organisation.

I could go on and on, analyzing various other events, teams etc but I don’t want to convert what was an exciting race into a boring management lecture.

In the past one year, we have seen a lot of excitement in the school education segment in India, with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announcing major changes. It started with simple things like doing away with board exams at the Class X (age 16) level and has now reached a stage where everyone's confused about things like CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) 

The idea behind CCE was very simple - to create a system that does away with "Marks". Most schools in India follow a 100% Mark system where students getting 92% were treated as less equal than those getting say 93%.   While some parents and teachers still claim that this system gave a clear indication of where the student ranked, the pressure to achieve maximum marks pushed few students to commit suicide and many others to be constantly harassed by parents and teachers alike.  With the forced implementation of CCE this year onwards, CBSE, in its view, hopes to reduce the burden on students.

The new CCE guidelines divide the entire evaluation process into 3 parts.  

Part 1 deals with Academic Performance in Scholastic subjects like Science, Maths, English etc. where Grades are given based on year long achievements. The academic year is divided into two sessions, in each session there are Formative and Summative Assessments (FA, SA). The school has some freedom in deciding the number of FA's and their weightage etc but the end result is that students get a Grade for each subject instead of a mark.  So far, so good. What CBSE has also done is that instead of focusing only on the 5 primary subjects, it has increased the scope by adding 3 more subjects to the Scholastic part - Work Experience, Art Education and Physical Education. For these additional subjects, teachers can give grades and a descriptive indicator explaining the student’s performance.

Part 2 deals with Co-Scholastic areas such as Life Skills, Attitude and Values. For each of these, teachers are again required to give a Grade and a descriptive indicator. Schools can expand these, for example, Life Skills can include Thinking Skills, Social Skills and Emotional Skills. Attitude can be judged towards teachers, peers, environment etc. The idea behind this part of the CCE is to let students and parents know that its not just knowledge that's important, there has to be overall development during the school years of a student.

Part 3 of the CCE deals with Co-Scholastic Activities.  The idea behind this part is to give simple grades based on activities performed / participated in during the year.  This part is divided into two sections a) Literary / Creative / Scientific / Aesthetic Skills, Performing Arts, Clubs etc  b) Health & Physical Education. Teachers are expected to grade students on their involvement with these activities during the year.

The exhaustive evaluation of a student is why the word "Comprehensive" is used in CCE.  The only way of making this evaluation is if teachers keep records of student’s performance throughout the year, therefore the work "Continuous".

While many schools are struggling to create formats and systems for teachers to work on, and I have had the opportunity to look at a few, I was amazed at the simplicity brought about in the whole process by the teachers and Principal of The Air Force School, Subroto Park, New Delhi - http://tafssp.com/ . The have created processes and formats where it would be possible for teachers to quickly evaluate and provide relevant indicators. The design of their evaluation system is simple, at the same time; it meets or exceeds all parameters defined by CBSE. Their formats eliminate chances of errors and make the whole process such that automating the CCE system would now be possible. I hope they get great recognition for their hard work and dedication, which will ease the lives of many student, parents and teachers. CBSE should now standardize these formats and ask other schools to follow.

With Microsoft ready to launch its Windows Azure service in India, the debate on who will lead the cloud computing market has started heating up.

Cloud computing basically allows users to access applications and services through the Internet. The simplest example is the Microsoft Word application on your desktop vs. an online document that you can create on Google docs. Microsoft Word requires your computer's processor and operating system to run, it requires your computers hard drive to store the document and it requires your email service to share with other users. On the other hand, Google docs requires any basic computer to be connected to the Internet, the rest of the functions are handled by the Google Cloud. You would have to buy Microsoft Word to be able to use it and all users buying Microsoft Word would pay the same amount, irrespective of how much you used it. On a cloud, you can pay as and when you use a feature, the charges also depend on your usage. As the reach and speed of internet access increases, users prefer that less work is done on the computers and more over the Internet, that's where Clouds come in. A cloud would normally include an inbuilt operating system, processing power, storage space and features to share etc, directly accessible by users through the internet. Currently, the largest players in the cloud computing segment includes Amazon, Google, IBM, Salesforce.com and VMWare.

Microsoft had already unveiled it's Online services that provided business or enterprise users to pay from $10 per month onwards to get access to host of services like Exchange, Office Live Meeting etc. Now, it is launching Windows Azure - a cloud based software development and delivery platform. The Windows Azure platform allows developers to use their existing Visual Studio or .net expertise in directly building applications on the Windows Azure cloud.

Microsoft would normally take years to catch up with cloud computing leaders like Amazon or Google. What Windows Azure does is to bring to the Microsoft cloud computing environment a whole new segment of software developers. If the developers find the Windows Azure platform attractive, Windows Azure could turn out to be the new cash cow Microsoft is looking for.

More information on Windows Azure is available here : http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/

A very nice comparison of Cloud Computing platforms is here : http://www.cumulux.com/ComparingCloudPlatforms.pdf

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